Fabric dress glove



y 25, 1939- 'w. o. WELLS Er AL 2,167,226

' FABRIC DRESS GLOVE File d Feb. 8, 1959 Patented July 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v 2,167,226 memo mmss GLOVE William 0. Wells, Evanston, 111., and Carlton n.

Waite, Louisiana, Mo., assignors to Wells Lamont Smith Com, Chicago, 11].,

tion of Minnesota Application February a, 1939, Serial No. 255,342

9 Claims.

l however, that fabric dress gloves have a serious.

drawback which considerably limits their adoption and use, in that due to inherent characteristics of the fabric they slip on smooth surfaces and it is almost impossible to firmly grasp 5 objects with the hands when the gloves are worn.

The essential object" of the present invention.

is to overcome the objection just referred to. Since the gloves are of a dressy type, and appearance is an extremely important factor, varinus gripping arrangements heretofore proposed for work gloves are entirely unsuitable, and any arrangement which would detract from the appearance, no matter how successfully it performed its gripping function, would render the 5 glove unsalable. It istherefore a further important object of the invention to increase the gripping ability of a fabric dress glove by means whichwhile not completely invisible are of such charac't'er as to be substantially unnoticeable and otherwise u'nobjectionable, and which also-are extremely durable and efficiently perform their intended function.

According to the invention the front sides of thefabric glove fingers and at least a portion of the palm willbe provided with a multiplicity of gripping elements which are embedded in the fabric, and which are so formed as to project no more than slightly, if at all, above the fabric surface. For purposes of appearance the total actual 0 gripping surface in the desired'areas presented by the multiple of elements is restricted, but the elements are so formed and distributed as to give the entire areas adequate gripping power and at t same time leave exposed substantial portions 01 the fabric surface. By controlling the size of the elements and their spacing, it is possible to obtain an arrang ement which will function efficiently but which at the same time will be rela tively unnoticeable. The elements, aside from their size, should not contrast with the surface of the glove any more than can be helped. To this end the elements should be of a color substantially" the same as the fabric of the glove, and it is found that the elements can be so formed as to have an apparent texture simulating the knitted texture of the surrounding fabric.

The invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing showing one embodiment thereof in connection with the accompanying detailed description.

In the drawing: Fig, l is an elevational view of the front side of a fabric dress glove and illustrating the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-section, greatly magnified andsubstantially diagrammatic, of the glove fabric and lining, and illustrating the character of the gripping elements.

The glove illustrated-in Figure 1 is of. the dress type, patterned to closely fit the hand. It has been found that the best v fit and appearance can be obtained by employing Jersey cloth or similar knitted fabric because of the ability of such materials to conform to the shape of the fingers and hand proper more closely than woven fabric. The glove comprises a knitted back section ill, and a knitted front section ll forming the palm and front sides of the fingers. The thumb l2 will be formed of, similar material. A fleecy lining materiallt, shown in Figure 2, will preferably be employed as a lining, the same being suitably anchored to the front and back knitted sections just referred to which form the outside of the glove.

The gripping means comprises a series of relatively small elements M of rubber composition embedded in the fabric of the front section H. such elements are arranged in substantially spaced relation so as to leaveexposed between them areas of fabric of greater proportions than the area collectively defined by the rubber grip elements so that the areas of the glove in which the elements are located will present a predominant fabric surface and thereby minimize the noticeability of the elements which, as indicated, will be sufficiently small as not to detract from the appearance of the glove.

The grip elements it in Figure 1 are of narrow and elongated form, although in some instances circular elements It may be employed. The various elements are arranged in a series of spaced parallel lines in the palm area, and are similarly disposed in the present. case in the front areas of each of the fingers and the thumb. It will be observed that the spacing" between the various lines of elements is somewhat greater than the width of the elements so that the area occupied by the elements is minimized as far as possible without the frequency of the elepower will be obtained.

It will be observed in the illustrated embodiment of the invention that the elongated elements are arranged-along lines which extend diagonally of the front section II and inner portion of the thumb l2. Such arrangement is not merely, arbitrary. The diagonal arrangement enables the greatest area of each of the elements and the greatest number of elements to contact an object when the same is grasped, and the arrangement is such that despite the restricted size and the spacing of the elements a gripping action is ob tained which from the practical standpoint is as satisfactory as in a glove where the whole area of the fabric surface is treated with rubber. It will be observed that in the case of the index finger, the rubber elements are extended well around the outer side thereof because such finger is usually depended upon to a considerable extent in grasping any sort of object.

The rubber elements are preferably applied to the fabric in the piece befofe the glove is formed because it can be done, with greater facility at that time. A self-drying rubber or latex composition in a volatile solvent is employed which is thinned sufliciently that the composition will readily penetrate into the knitted texture of the fabric. Ordinarily a stencil will be employed cut with the desired form andarrangement of elements. This will be laid over the fabric and the composition will be applied through the openings therein. Substantial pressure will be employed to insure the penetration of the composition into the fabric, and so as to enable the exposed surface of the elements to be made substantially flush with the surface of the surrounding fabric. In practice it is found that the surface of the elements will project no more than approximately of an inch above the adjoining fabricsurface.

The disposition of the elements M in the fabric of the front glove section II is diagrammatically illustrated in Figure The rubber composition will be supplied in sufiiciently small quantity as not to penetrate into the lining I 3, and inmost found thatthe texture of the fabric, by reason of the pressure employed in applying the rubber composition, marks itself at the surface of the elements to some-degree, thereby minimizing contrast with the adjoining exposed fabric surface. The use of pigment in the rubber composition conforming to the color of the glove will thereforeenable the elements to be employed without seriously detracting from the appearance of the glove and the requisite dressy effect of the glove is maintained while at the same time overcoming the tendency of the glove to slip on objects which are grasped.

The invention is'.capable of a certain degree of modification and equivalency and the scope there-,

, "of is to be determined according to the scope of ments to the point where inadequate gripping the appearance and usefulness of the glove for' dress wear, said grip area including amultiplicity of small individual rubber grip elements of sub stantially the same color as the glove fabric and arranged in spaced relation to each other with exposed surface portions of the glove fabric lying between them, said elements being embedded in the front section with their outer surfaces substantially flush with the surrounding exposed fabric surface portions, the grip elements being so small and so widely spaced from each other that their total outer surface area is less than the exposed surface area of the intervening portions of fabric.

2. A dress glove of textile fabric including a back section and a front palm and finger section, said front section having a grip area at its outer face adapted to overcome the tendency of the glove to slip on objects grasped but preserving the appearance and usefulness of the glove for dress wear, said grip area being composed in part of exposed fabric surface portions and embodying a multiplicity of small embedded grip elements of rubber composition spaced from each other by intervening exposed fabric surface portions and presenting outer gripping surfaces which collectively constitute a lesser part of the grip area than the exposed fabric surface portions.

3. A' textile fabric dress glove including a back section and a front palm and finger section, both including an outer layer of knitted fabric and an inner layer of lining material, said front section having a grip area at its outer face adapted to overcome the tendency of the glove to slip on objects grasped but preserving the appearance and usefulness of the glove for dress wear,

said grip area being composed predominantly of .exposed surface portions of the knitted fabric outer layer and embodying a multiplicity of small, spaced elements of rubber composition embedded in said layer and so shaped and arranged as to be relatively .unnoticeable.

4. A dress glove of textile fabric including a back section, and front palm and finger portions, said front palm and finger portions each having embedded therein at recurrent spaced points small elements of rubber composition separated fromeach other at the outer face of said portions by substantial areas'of exposed fabric surface.

5. A dress glove of textile fabric including a back section and a front palm and finger section,

said front section having a grip area at its outer face adapted to overcome the tendency of the glove to slip on objects grasped but preserving the appearance and usefulness of the glove for dress wear, said grip area embodying a plurality of narrow parallel-spaced strips of rubber composition embedded in the front section and separated from one another by intervening exposed face adapted to overcome the tendency of the glove to slip on objects grasped but preserving the appearance and usefulness of the glove for dress wear, said grip area embodying aplurality of spaced parallel lines of small and narrow grip elements of rubber composition, said elements being embedded in the front section and being surrounded by intervening exposed fabric outer surface portions of said section.

7. A dress glove of textile fabric including a back sectionand a front and finger section,

r 8,167,926 said front section having a grip atits outer face adapted to overcome the tendency of the.

glove to slip on objects grasped but preserving the appearance and usefulness'of the glove-for dress wear, said grip area embodying a plurality of narrow lines of embedded rubber grip elements extending diagonally across the front section and being separated by exposed fabric outer surface portions of said section.

8. A dress glove of textile fabric including a back section and a front palm and finger section,

said front section having a grip area at its outer face adapted to overcome the tendency of the glove to slipon objects grasped but preserving the appearance and usefulness of the glove'for dress wear, said grip area comprising a plurality of narrow lines of rubber composition extending diagonally across the palm portion in spaced parallel relation and spacedfrom each other by exposed portions of the fabric outer surface, and

the appearance and usefulness similarly directed spaced narrow lines of rubber composition extending diagonally across the I dress wear, said grip area embodying small narrow grip elements of the same color as the fabric and composed of self-drying rubber composition,

said elements forming a series of spaced parallel lines across the front section and being embedded in said section with their grip surfaces surrounded by, and substantially flush with, exposed fabric outer surface portions of the front section. Y

WILLIAM 0. WELLS.

of the glove for cam-won K. warm. 

